The Grim Reaper and the lonely girl Shindere
by AnimeZed
Summary: Based off of the manga 'Shindere Shoujo to Kodoku na Shinigami'. Akira Wakanae is a second year middle schooler who lives on a small, boring island, wishing to leave it. Matsushirou Nishigami is a transfer student who gets enrolled into the middle school and says that anyone close to him dies.


**A/N: A 'novel' (fanfic) by me based off of the manga 'Shindere Shoujo to Kodoku na Shinigami' by Shinkiba Yuki, who I hope gets better soon! I am a disclaimer; I don't not own the manga, characters, plot and other stuffs. If I did, I'd be happy.**

* * *

Chapter 1: The Lonely Shinigami:

A small folded paper with a circle drawn on it flowed in the wind as the waves from the sea drifted calmly onto the beach. The calm ocean was oblivious to what was happening right next to it. A blond middle school boy sat near a laying down, un-moving girl who had her eyes wide-open, but all color was lost in them. She had a pretty shade of blue hair and brown eyes to compliment, but that didn't matter at the moment.

"She's not breathing." The blond breathlessly observed. He uses two fingers to feel her neck. "There's no pulse either." The blond starts shaking. "She's dead." His blue eyes widened even more. "I killed her. I killed yet another person." Pain and guilt settled in his chest. It couldn't continue on like this… The scene seemed to keep repeating in front of him.

And he couldn't bear it. Not anymore.

"Wakanae-san…"

SSTKNS

"Akira-chan, good morning!" A cheerful voice called behind the bluenette.

"Good morning." Akira said, turning around, her white and blue uniform swishing slightly. "As usual you're full of energy so early in the morning, Rin."

"Because it's the new semester starting today!" Rin cheered, skipping over to Akira. "We become second year middle schoolers!"

Akira turns straight-faced. "What is so interesting about the new semester…? We don't change classes in our school anyway."

Rin smiles brightly. "It's good we don't change classes! I love everyone in our class!"

"You usually get tired of it when you're in the same class for nine years since Elementary!" Akira says as they start walking the path to their school.

_The island that I, Akira Wakanae, live on, is small and the school has only one class for each grade. Its only famous place is an old shrine. And being peaceful is its main feature._

"This island is really boring." Akira voices her thoughts.

"Don't be impatient. We will leave the island when we're highschoolers even if we don't want to." Rin says, "You will go to school to study cooking, right?" Rin hops up to Akira. "The bentos you share with me are delicious."

Akira holds her large bento in her hand. "Well, I don't have a mother. So my hobby has practical use." Akira looks down. "I wish I could become a high schooler two years faster. There are a lot of things I want to do after leaving the island!"

"But," Rin pouts. "I will be lonely if we leave the island and get separated."

"WHAT?" Akira looks forward, shocked for a moment. "DON'T WORRY ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT! We will always be friends no matter how far we are from each other."

"Eh?" Rin tilts her head. "What did you say? I didn't hear the last part."

Akira blushes and runs forward. "It was nothing!"

_While living my everyday life with my childhood friends in this boring island, I was dreaming about the outside world. Until I met 'him'._

Akira and Rin reach the second year classroom and walk inside. "Transfer student?" Someone asks.

"That right!" A girl winks. "Thanks to my father's efforts, a doctor has been appointed to this island that was always without a doctor! And a child is with him that is a second year student!"

This created a series of questions and comments getting bombarded towards the girl.

"Really?" "Finally a new student in the class!" "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"It's a boy." The girl says, smiling. "And he is the prodigy that got the first place in the national exam."

"A prodigy and son of a doctor! He's like a prince!" A girl cheers.

A boy clenches his fist triumphantly. "If it's a boy, the baseball club will have him!"

"No. He will join the judo club." Another argues.

"I wonder if we will be friends." Rin asks no one in particular.

Akira sets her bag down on her desk. "With your personality, you will be friends with him no matter who he is."

_I thought it would be just the same old classmates this year too… _Akira thought. _I wonder how he is like._

"Teacher is coming. Someone's with her! Go to your seats!" A kid by the door says.

An adult walks in, her hair up in a low ponytail. "Sorry for being late everyone." The teacher apologizes. "I was talking about a sudden matter." She walks to her desk and puts down a folder she was holding. "You will all be second year students from today, so you need to pull yourself together-"

"Teacher!" A student whines.

"Leave that for later! What about the transfer student? Hurry and introduce him!" Another begs.

The teacher blinks. "What? Everyone knows already? I was thinking of teasing you a little." The teacher looks to forward. "Then, I will introduce the transfer student." The teacher turns toward the open door, on the other side a blond boy stood. "Come. Come in 'Nishigami-kun'." Teacher motions toward him. "He will be your classmate from today, Matsushirou Nishigami." Matsushirou walks up next to the teacher. "Nishigami-kun has come to this island because of his family's job circumstances. He is not used to lifestyle on this island. So everyone please be friendly with him."

"Yes!" The students say.

The teacher turns back toward Matsushirou. "Go on. Nishigami-kun, introduce yourself.

"…friendly with me." Matsushirou mutters.

"Eh?" The teacher asks.

"You don't need to be friendly with me!" Matsushirou glares at the students. "I'm not planning on becoming friends with anyone in this school. Everyone please, don't get close to me."

Akira's eyes widen.

"Huh?" Some students ask.

The teacher sweats. "Nishigami-kun… are you feeling nervous?"

"It's alright. Everyone in our class is good…" Matsushirou takes a deep breath. "Anyone who gets close to me dies. I was called 'Shinigami' in my previous school. If you don't want to die, leave me alone."

SSTKNS

A bell sounds for a break. "What is wrong with him…?!" A student yells.

"'I'm a Shinigami', don't get close to me.' He says." A student says.

"He looks really dangerous." Another student says, staring a bit in the distance at the transfer.

"I was expecting so much from the transfer student…"One says.

"What should we do with him?" Someone wonders.

"Just leave him alone, he said so himself." Akira says, straight-faced.

"We can't leave him alone like that!" Rin says.

"Wait, Rin…" Akira hand this gut feeling that Rin was going to do something unpredictable.

"No one actually believes that he's a Shinigami, right?" Rin asks.

"That's right, but…" The girl from before says.

"Then we should become friends with him and prove to him that it's alright and we won't die!" Rin cheers. "Akira-chan, I'm borrowing your bento!"

"Wait…" Akira reached her hand out fruitlessly. Akira sweat drops. "Ah… we can't stop her."

"Yeah, but it is one of her good points." A girl says. "Even 'Shinigami-kun' may change his mind.

"No one can win against Rin's personality." Akira agrees.

"Therefore…" Rin holds the large bento in front of Matsushirou. "Today school will be over before noon and we all are planning to eat Akira-chan's special bento together! Do you want to eat with us?"

"I think I told you not to get close to me…" Matsushirou mutters.

"That's alright. I'm not afraid of Shinigamis!" Rin smiles. "Let's eat lunch together."

"…You are a good person." Matsushirou says. "You look like my first friend."

Rin continues to smile. "Eh? I'm embarrassed. What kind of person is she?"

"She is dead." Matsushirou says. "It was a terrible accident. She was surrounded by smoke in a fire…" Matsushirou starts to lift his hands up. "Until she couldn't breathe anymore." Matsushirou wraps his hands around Rin's neck. "Her breath stopped like this." Rin's eyes widen and her smile fads instantly. She drops the bento. "Yes, your frightened face looks like her face when she died."

Akira pushes Rin back and slaps Matsushirou across the cheek. "STOP IT!" Akira glares at the blond. "If you touch Rin one more time, I will never forgive you."

"There was no need to hit me. I was just testing her." Matsushirou says. "Because she said that she is not afraid of Shinigamis."

"DON'T MESS WITH US!" Akira yells. "Who does such an awful thing just because of that?" Akira spreads her right hand out quickly to motion to Rin who was sitting on the floor, terrified. "Are you sure your friend died in an accident and you didn't kill her yourself?! Just like this!"

"And what if I did?" Matsushirou asks. "It's the same either way."

"!" Akira's eyes widen. "Nishigami. I hate people like you!"

"Stop Akira." Another girl holds Akira back. "Don't get involved with dangerous people like him."

Akira glares at him. _What wrong with him…_ Akira thinks, _Does he really think that he is a Shinigami?_

SSTKNS

"We will decide the committee members now and the school will be over after it. Each role needs two people." The teacher says, motioning to the board. It read, 'Committee activity. –Class President (Male + Female) –Library Member –P.E. Member'.

"Rin, are you alright?" A girl asks.

"Does your neck hurt?" Another asks.

Rin smiles. "I'm fine. It didn't hurt that much. I was just shocked. I think Nishigami-kun didn't mean to harm me!"

"…" Akira stares at Rin who was sitting in front of her.

"Anyway, what committee are you going to join?" Rin asks. "I want to join the P.E. Committee."

"Rin, you recover too fast." A girl sighs.

"As expected." The other says.

Akira stares at Matsushirou. _That Nishigami… Rin seems to have forgiven him, but I never will._ Akira thinks, _I want to hit him one more time._

"Does anyone want to be class president? No one?" The teacher asks. She sighs. "I wanted to start with the most important position… It can't be helped. No one wants to be class president."

"Because you have them do too many things." A student says.

"It's true that since our school doesn't have many students and staff, we ask a lot from class presidents. What should I do…" She ponders. Suddenly, the teacher claps her hands. "That's right. Let's decide it with lottery!"

"EH?" The class asks.

"Wait a minute, I'll make the cards." The teacher takes a large piece of paper and some scissors out.

_Hmm. _Akira thinks, _This year, I'm planning on becoming a library member and ordering a lot of cooking books…_

"There! I made them!" The teacher declares, finishing drawing a circle on one of the papers. "Boys and girls take one card each from a separate bag. And the two persons that get a card with a circle on it will become class presidents."

_Here I go! _Akira slips her hand into the bag and closes her eyes. _Let it not be me!_

Akira opens her card and peaks an eye open. "!" _It did it! _Akira thought, staring at her blank card. _There is no circle!_

"Has anyone got a card?" The teacher asks. "If you got a card with the circle, please raise your hand."

"Yes." Matsushirou raises his hand. "I got the card with the circle." Matsushirou holds the paper up for everyone to see. "I'm the class president from boys."

"To be paired with Nishigami…" Akira walks toward Rin with a hand on her hip. "I pity the female partner. Right, Rin?"

"…"

"Rin?" Akira tilts her head down to see a terrified expression on Rin's face. "What's wrong?"

_Could it be… _Akira thought. _Rin got it?_

"No one from the girls?" The teacher asks. "Whoever got the card with the circle step forward and say your name. Who? Why is she not saying it? It's because she has to be his partner…"

"Ah." Rin whispers. "It's… me…"

"If you don't say your name, I will check your cards one by one. Do you understand?" Says the teacher, "Even though I don't really want to do it…"

Akira raises her card with her circle up. "It's me." Akira says. "I'm the class president from girls. Sorry to say it late. Please continue."

"Wakanae-san from girls. Then let's decide the other members." The teacher says and the students start gossiping.

"With what happened before…" and "Akira is really unlucky…" they say.

Rin runs up to Akira. "Akira-chan, I-!"

"It's alright. Don't worry." Akira says, "Even if he kills me, I'll kill him back." Akira clutches the pen behind her back tighter. "It's fine, alright?"

SSTKNS

School was let out for the day and Akira and Matsushirou were left with their work.

"Then sort these prints… And make booklets with them. When you are finished you can put them on my desk." The teacher instructs before leaving the room.

_You're leaving already! _Akira thinks, _To make us stay behind and make us work on this right away… teacher is evil. _Akira glances at Matsushirou. _And together with him._

"I'll say this first. **I really hate you.**" Akira says.

"…I hate a person like you too." Matsushirou says. "When we were drawing the cards, you didn't say your name because I was your partner. You're awful. And you hit me today after meeting me for the first time. Don't worry, even if disgusting people like you become friends with me they don't die."

A vein pops in Akira's forehead. "Thanks for that! Even if we both hate each other, let's continue our work."

_What a terrible person he is._

Akira drops a large sack of papers on a group of desks they are sitting at. "I will sort half of them here and you sort the remaining on your side." Akira says, "Let's work far from each other."

"Alright." Matsushirou says.

Akira starts sorting the prints. _With booklets like these, we usually gather everyone and finish them in an instant. But because of Nishigami no one stayed to help. _Akira thought, _It was supposed to be a fun lunch with the bento I made. I spend so much time making the bento since it was after a while…_

"I really look stupid." Akira says, closing her eyes. "Shinigami or not, is it fun to scare people and distance yourself from them?"

Matsushirou straightens some papers. "I'm not doing it because it's fun. Four persons…"

"Huh?" Akira turns towards Matsushirou.

"There were four persons that were close to me. They all died before my eyes."

"!" Akira's eyes widen. _Four persons… _"But it's not really your fault, right?"

"That may be right, but…" Matsushirou says, "Even if it's by coincidence, if a person I hold dear dies in front of my eyes again… I can't bear it anymore. I can't endure it. That's why I don't get close to anyone. If I don't love anyone, I don't have to be afraid of losing them."

"Nishigami…" _To protect himself…_

"I'm weird, right?" Matsushirou asks. "I didn't want to tell you this story. It should be because you have a twisted personality. I'm at ease."

Akira glares at him. "Do you want me to punch your right cheek too? Huh?"

_Nishigami may be going through a lot, but that doesn't mean he should hurt the people around him. _Akira thinks, remembering about the incident with Rin.

"Don't worry. I will hate you forever." Akira says.

"Okay." Matsushirou says.

"Come on! Work faster. This will never end like this." Akira says.

"Wakanae-san, you are really rough… I hate this part of you too." Matsushirou frowns.

"Don't tell me you hate me every single time!" Akira yelled, shifting in her seat. Her card with the circle fell out.

"You dropped something." Matsushirou picks up the card.

"Eh?" Akira looks at it, and then shrugs. "It's the card that made me class president. Because of it, I have to be together with a person I hate like you. I'm really unlucky!"

"…This card is weird." Matsushirou says.

"!?" Akira's eyes snap open.

"This is a fake card. Probably made by you." Matsushirou examines it. "Wakanae-san, you drew a circle on a white card and became class president by our own will."

Akira pales. "What's your proof? There's no way I will do something like that!" She protests.

"I have proof." Matsushirou holds up both his card and Akira's. "This is your card." Matsushirou looks at the card in his left hand. "This is mine." He looks at the card in his right hand. "You can understand if you compare them."

Curiously, Akira grabs them and compares both of them. "They're not really different. The stroke looks the same too." She observes. "You're not going to use the difference in the shape of the circles as an excuse, right?"

"No, the problem is the surface of the cards." Matsushirou says. "If you look carefully, these papers have both the smooth front and the rough back of the paper."

"What about it?" Akira asks. "The circle is drawn on the front side of the paper on both of them."

"That is the problem." He says, "Teacher made the cards like this: First, she folded the paper in half and cut it. Then she folded it in half and cut it again. And repeated like that. Then she drew a circle on the top two cards and put them in the boy's and girl's bags. When made like that, the circles should be on the front side of a card and on the back side of the other. Front side, back side, the rest of the cards are lined up like that too."

Akira stares at Matsushirou as he looks at Akira's card. _'Surface of the card'? To notice something small like that in an instant… _She thinks, _And to remember the way teacher made the cards so easily. He is a bit weird… Ah… I forgot he was a weirdo to begin with!_

"I can understand this… But why would someone like you who is hostile towards me chose to become class president?" Matsushirou asks. "I can't understand that."

"Who cares?!" Akira snatches back her card with a simple, "Give it back!"

"Ah." Matsushirou stares at Akira.

"I decided to become class president at the end of the lottery. That's all there is to it." Akira announces, turning away from him.

_Why did Wakanae-san decide to become class president… Ah. _An image of Rin flashes across Matsushirou's mind. _In place of her friend…_

"So that was the reason." He says, "It's called poking your nose where it's none of your business. As a result, you had to take this unwanted position. People like you…"

"That's right, I'm nosy. So what?" Akira says, turning back towards Matsushirou. "You don't have to tell me!" She points an accusing finger at Matsushirou, startling him. "You're going to say that you 'hate' this part of me too, right? Do you want to fight?"

"Eh?" His eyes widen. "Ah. Yes. That's right, I hate you… I hate you. I hate you even more now."

SSTKNS

After the two finished, they left the school and started walking along the concrete path down the hill. It was evening, and the sun was starting to set.

"It has become really late." Akira says, "And we didn't even eat lunch…"

"…Stop following me." Matsushirou turns around.

"It just happens that our way is the same!" Akira says.

Suddenly, Matsushirou's stomach growls. "…Is there any convenient store around here?"

"There is one… But it closes at five." Akira says as Matsushirou continues walking. "If you're hungry, why not eat at home?" She asks.

"My guardian doesn't make food. So I have to buy something to eat…"

"…" Akira stops. "Come with me for a minute!" She grabs Matsushirou's wrist.

"What?!"

Akira leads him to a smallish shrine and says, "This shrine has a store. Just come with me." She leads Matsushirou up the stairs. Akira motions for him to sit on an oak bench at the top. "See. Here's the bench. Sit down."

"Why have you brought me all the way up here?" Matsushirou asks, sitting down.

"This is my bento!" Akira says, holding out her large home-made bento. "You can't just squat anywhere and eat it!"

"I don't really want you to bless me with that." Matsushirou says flatly.

"I don't want someone like you to eat my home cooking either." Akira sits down next to Matsushirou, opening the messy bento and grabbing a pair of chopsticks. "But because of the mess you made today, my bento is ruined. You should hold responsibility. It's a waste to throw away. It took a lot of effort making it, so eat it till the end."

"I won't like you even if you do this." Matsushirou says.

"No one wants you to." Akira hands him a tray of the food. "Here you go." Matsushirou takes a bite out of it. "How is it?" She asks. "That quiche has two different kinds of cheese in it."

"I can't tell the difference." He says, "I'd rather eat some normal omelet."

"Normal? You mean rolled?" Akira asks. "Quiche isn't an omelet though."

"By normal I mean the way my mom used to make it." Matsushirou says, taking another bite. "The sweet one."

"My mom used to make it sweet too!" Akira smiles. "I will make a delicious one next time…" She blushes. "I obviously won't get it to a person like you."

"…"

SSTKNS

"So you love… cooking." Matsushirou says after they nearly finish eating.

"Yes. But I can't get my hands on many ingredients here. I want to become a high schooler and go to a school outside of this island as fast as possible." Akira says, "I love this island, but there's nothing here. If anything, this shrine is the only thing it has. It was recently featured in a magazine called 'Power Spot' so there are many tourists during the day."

Matsushirou reads a sign at the building of the shrine that says, 'Health Youth Love. Hahane-sama, god of resurrection.'

"Hahane-sama, god of resurrection?" He asks.

"Yes." Akira nods. "'Haha' in 'Hahane' means serpent and 'ne' means root. And by 'underground' they mean 'the other world'. The god of this island, serpent god Hahane-sama has a legend about 'resurrection'. Resurrection legend…"

_A long time ago, a princess with an incurable disease, abandoned by her people, was drifted to this island and died. The god of this island, Hahane-sama, took pity on the princess and used his own body to make a route between this world and the other world and revived the princess. The princess was revived in an immortal body and served Hahane-sama as his shrine maiden. And she lived happily after that…_

"…Is what's written on that wooden board." Akira motions to the wood sign to her left.

"Do you believe that story?" Matsushirou asks.

"I don't know…" Akira says. "Teacher said something about it being a literary work based on the snakes' habits like shedding skin and hibernation."

Matsushirou puts down his tray and stands up. "I will pray anyway."

"Nishigami…" Akira stares at him as he walks up the few stairs to the very top.

_I see. He wants to pray for the people that died in front of him…_

Akira sighs, putting down the bento. "I guess I will pray too. We've come all the way here after all." She walks next to him and claps her hands together. "I pray that Nishigami-kun's personality doesn't become worse than what it is!"

"You are really a terrible person." Matsushirou says.

Akira closes her eyes and prays, _I pray to you, Hahane-sama, please protect him so that his heart won't be wounded anymore._

"!" Akira quickly turns to her left.

"What?" Matsushirou asks.

"Nothing. I thought I was being watched." Akira says, scanning the area. "It was just my imagination."

"To feel like you're being watched in a place with no one around but us, aren't you being over-conscious?" Matsushirou asks with a frown.

A vein pops in Akira's forehead. "What do you…"

"I really hate that part of you…"

"Bu!" Akira quickly covers her mouth. "Nishigami, you are talking proudly but you have remaining of the bento stuck on your face!" Akira stares at the crumbs on his face, trying not to laugh.

"Eh?" Matsushirou blushes and starts wiping it off with his sleeve. "Ah, no, this is…"

Akira starts laughing, holding her sides. "Buwahahaha! You're so cute. You're like a kid."

"Cu… Cute…!? Don't make fun of me!" Matsushirou wipes harder.

"Okay, okay. I got it." Akira wipes a stray tear from her face. "You shouldn't wipe it with your sleeve." Akira pulls out a handkerchief and holds it to Matsushirou's face. "Here, stay still. I will clean it with a handkerchief."

Matsushirou blushes. "Ah… I! I don't need it!" He smacks her hand away and starts walking away.

"Ah." A vein pops in Akira's forehead and she stomps after him, behind the shrine and by the cliff by the ocean. "You shouldn't refuse people's kindness…"

"I didn't ask for it! I hate you. Don't get close to me." Matsushirou says.

"Wait a minute!" Akira grabs his sleeve. "You keep saying you hate me every single time… My feelings get hurt a bit even if it's someone like you!"

"I hate what I hate! I really hate you!"

"What's with getting worked up and saying, 'I hate you, I hate you!'?" Akira asks. "Are you sure it's not because you actually like me?"

Matsushirou turns toward Akira. "Huh?" He blushes scarlet. "I like Wakanae-san?" He quickly pulls his hand away. "There's no way! I won't like anyone anymore!"

"Calm down. I was kidding. It's dangerous there." Akira was worried, he was right next to the fence that led down a cliff.

"Don't come close!" Matsushirou harshly pushes Akira away, causing her to lose her balance and fall over the fence.

"Ah. Crap." Akira's eyes widen as she seemly falls in slow motion.

"Wakanae-san!" Matsushirou yells, staring over the fence at Akira.

Everything was black, she couldn't see or hear anything. _What… What just happened? I remember. I fell off of high ground. But it seems that I'm alright, because it doesn't hurt._

Akira then heard a voice, silent at first, but it grew louder as she focused. "…Wakanae-san." It said.

"Wakanae-san, please answer me. Wakanae-san!" Matsushirou pleaded, sitting beside Akira's motionless body.

"She's dead."

* * *

**A/N: I want this manga to gain popularity, it's awesome! I wish it can continue, I love this manga! Anyway, this is just a promotion of the manga.  
**

**Read it, please!**


End file.
